Edible nut and process of providing the same



Patented Oct. 29, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT oFncE HUGH F. RIIEPEY, OFSEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO LAUCKS LABORATORIES INC., OF SEATTLE,WASHINGTON, A CORPORATION OF WASHINGTON EDIBLE NUT AND PROGESSOFPROVIDING THE SAME No Drawing.

My invention relates to a nut as a new article of manufacture and totheprocess of providing the same. More particularly, my invention relatesto a nut characterized by 5 having the outer layer of the shellenveloping the kernel removed.

For purposes of clearness of description I will describe my invention asapplied to that type of nuts known as English walnuts, but

10 it is to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to anysuch specific application but extends to all fields presenting similarproblems and conditions.

Heretofore, it has been the custom to bleach the shells of whole walnutsafter the husk is removed in order that the walnuts when marketed mayhave a bright, attractive, and pleasing appearance. Unbleached walnuts,in general, are dark in color, spotted, more or less dirty, andunattractive. This bleaching has been accomplished in general by achemical means such as bleaching by means of gases, by washing, orimmersing in a bath of bleaching solution such as hypochlorites andcompounds having a similar action. Such chemical bleaching by means ofwashing and immersion has been unsatisfactory because the nuts do notbleach evenly and consequently their color is not uniform, and it isparticularly unsatisfactory because the solution fre quently seepsthrough into the nut, through tiny openings in the shell particularly atthe blossom end and such solutions are extremely injurious to the walnutmeats, causing them to become rancid, to mold, have a bad taste, andeven to become slightly poisonous. A substantial percentage of lossresults from this injuring of the kernel.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a nut, the outer layerof the shell of which has been mechanically removed to the desireddepth, without in any way affecting the meat or kernel of the nut, sothat. all stains and discolorations are removed, and there results a nutcharacterized by having a smooth, bright, uniformly colored shell ofattractive and natural appearance, i. e. one having the natural surfacelines or fissured markings of the nut preserved or retained, whilehaving exposed the natural color of Application filed August 4, 1927.Serial No. 210,721.

the shell fiber uniformly as the color of the injuring the kernelwithin. A further pri-' mary object of my invention is to remove theouter layer portion of that shell of the nut Which directly envelopesthe kernel, and leave only such portion of the shell as may be readilycracked; that is, my purpose is providing a nut having a so-called papershell, eventhough said nut when grown may have a very hard, thick,shell; and a final primary purpose of my invention is providing aproduct having the characteristics above set forth, and is particularlycharacterized by its cheap ness of production,such product being onewhich must be capable of production on a large scale.

I have discovered that by removing the outer layer of the walnut shellall discolorations are removed and walnuts so treated have a uniformcolor and an attractive, pleasing are thereby uniformly removedproducing.

and exposing an entirely new surface for each shell. This new surfacehas been found to be of a light color, pleasing, smooth, attractive inappearance and the uniformity of the coloration is such as to be ofgreat advantage in marketing the product in competition with chemicallybleached walnuts.

In addition to the above advantages it is quite evident that there canbe no damage to the walnut meat as a result of this treatment of theshell and that the desired effect and the desired product, namely auniformly light colored, clean, smooth surface and attractive walnut issecured without the loss and damage entailed by the use of chemicalbleach. This product may be produced by other mechanical means thanby-the use of sand-blast,- as for example by rapidly revolvthatsand-blasting of the walnut produces not only uniformity of color butmay be accomplished conveniently and rapidly and is therefore, accordingto my present experience, a preferred means of producing the product. Animportant advantage of my invention is that the product may be producedmore cheaply than chemically bleached walnuts may be produced, withoutany of the disadvantages of the chemical bleach which have beenenumerated above and which are well knownto the trade.

I have further discovered that I may take the heavy shelled walnut andby proper adjustment of the force of the sand-blast and of the durationof time of exposure of the nut to the sand-blast, or of the size of thesand particles, I can regulate or reduce the thickness of the shell ofthe finished walnut so that I may produce walnuts similar to and in allrespect the equal of the so called paper shell walnut of commercewithoutin any way impairing the quality of the walnut meat within theshell and at the same time producing, as herein above described, awalnut of attractive, pleasing color, and appearance.

I have found that I can satisfactorily and cheaply reduce the thicknessof the shells 9f hard shell almonds producing the equivalent of socalled paper shell almonds in so far as the ease of cracking said shellsis concerned. Also the same treatment applied to hickory nuts, pecans,and other nut results in products more readily usable, more attractiveand more readily saleable than the nuts in their natural and unprocessedstate.

By way of summary and in general, it will be noted that the nut of myinvention is: (1) characterized by being mecahnically treated so that nopossible injury can result to the meat within, that is the kernel byreason of any chemical bleaching solution entering through the shell,especially the blossom end; (2) characterized by a mode of treatmentwhich cuts away or removes an appreciable layer or portion of the nut;3) characterized by a mode of treatment which in no wise alters oraffects the natural color of the nut fiber, that is my method as aminimumresult of its application removes to such an extent the outerportion of theshell as to expose the natural color of the inner shellfiber and is directly opposed to chemical treatment methods which areadmittedly designed to employ chemical agents to bleach'the nuts-suchportion as is originally clean being acted upon by the chemicals forjust as long a period as the stained portion of the nut shell,-a processobviously unavoidably certain to result in a lack of uniformity ofcolor, or at least an artificial or imparted color to thenut,-the-latter'fa'ct being especially true when the bleaching processis applied by methods adapted to handle large quantities of nuts; and(4) is characterized by leaving unimpaired the natural appearance of thenut, that is its surface lines or fissured markings are preserveddespite the cutting away or removal of the outer portion 'of the shell,a property or feature Which is important as the nut to 'command thehighest price should look like a nut according to present custom.

I claim:

v 1. As a new article of manufacture, a nut characterized by having theouter portion of its shell removed to such an extent as to exposetheinner natural color of the shell fiber uniformly as the color of thenut.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a nut characterized by having the.outer portion of its shell removed to such an extent as to expose theinner natural color of the shell fiber uniformly as the color of thenut, and by having its natural appearance as to surface lines orfissured markings preserved.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a walnut characterized by having theouter portion of its shell removed. to such an extent as to expose theinner natural color of the shell fiber uniformly as the color of thenut.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a wal nut characterized by havingthe outer portion of its shell removed to such an extent as to exposethe inner natural color of'the shell. fiber uniformally as the color 'ofthe nut, and by having itsnatural appearance as to surface lines orfissured markings preserved.

5. The process of preparing nuts which comprises mechanically removingthe outer portion of the shell coating surrounding the kernel to such anextent as to expose the color of the shell fiber as the color of thenut;

6. The process of preparing walnuts which comprises mechanicallyremoving the outer portion of the shell coating surrounding the kernelto such an extent as to expose the color of the shell fiber as the colorof the nut.

7. The process of preparing nuts which comprises removing by a sandblast the outer portion of the shell coating surrounding the kernel tosuch an extent as to expose the color of the shell fiber as the color ofthe nut.

8. The processof preparing walnuts which comprises removing by a sandblast the outer portion of the shell coating surrounding the kernel tosuch an extent as to expose the color of the shell fiber as the color ofthe nut.

9. The, process of preparing nuts which comprises mechanically removingthe outer portion of the shell coating surrounding the kernel to such anextent as to expose the natural color of the shell fiber whilemaintaining the. surface lines .or fissured ings substantially normal.

10(The process of preparing "walnuts which comprises mechanicallyremoving the markouter portion of the shell coating surround- 7 ing thekernel to such an extent as to expose the natural color of the shellfiber while maintaining the surfacelines or fissured markingssubstantially normal.

11. The process of preparing nuts which comprises removing by a sandblast the outer ncrtion of the shell coating surrounding the kernel tosuch an extent as to expose the natural color of the shell fiber whilemaintaining the surface lines or fissured markings substantially normal.

12. The process of preparing walnuts which comprises removing by a sandblast the outer portion of the shell coating surrounding the kernel tosuch an extent as to expose the natural color of the shell fiber Whilemaintaining the surface lines or fissured markings substantially normal.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this day of July, A.-D. 1927.

HUGH F. RIPPEY.

